Dry ice machine



c; L. HILL 2,096,584

DRY ICE MACHINE Filed Dec. 17, 1936 BY I g ATTORNEW.

Patented Oct. 19, 1937 charles r.. mu, Plainfield, N. J. ApplicationDecember 1'1, 1936,Serial No. 116,287

1 0 Claims.

This invention relates -to improvements in ice making apparatus and moreparticularly to a device for making dry ice in cake form.

One of the main features of the invention is to provide a freezer deviceby which dry ice in cake form may be instantly made fromI carbonio gasas and when needed, which adapts the device for use in laboratories,clinics, metallurgical work and for store keepers in the'packaging ofice cream, fruit juices and the like.

Another feature of the invention resides in a small compact dry icemaking device which -is automatic in its action, small and compact ofcon I` struction', and which is safe of operation and l5 highly emcientand economical even though operated by one unskilledv in the art of d ryice manufacture. Y A

A further featureof the invention is the provision of a dry ice makingdevice which audibly has become lled with dry ice, thus notifying theuser that the flow of carbonio gas to the cavity should be shut oil'. I

-With these and other objects in view, the invention relates tothe novelconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, the essentialfeatures of which are hereinafter fully described in the followingspecieation, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, andare illusvtrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my dry ice making device connectedwith a tank of carbonicgas, the control valve of the device being shownin on position in full lines, and in off position in dotted lines. r A

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal sectional view through thedry ice making device,--

a formed cake of dry ice and the cover in partially open position.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the device with parts brokenaway.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, the numeral I0designates my improved dry ice vmaking device in its entirety and whichincludes a hollow cylindrical base or casing II closed at its top by afiat top wall I2 and open at its bottom, the bottom beingprovided withoutwardly extending iianges I3 having screw openings therein for thepassage of screws I4 for the purpose of flxedly securing the device to aindicates to the user when the cake formingcavity supporting structure.The side wall of the base II is provided with opposed slots I4 and I5,the said slots extending inwardly from the bottom end of the side wallfor a purpose to be presently explained.

Rising upwardly from the top wall I2 inwardly of the periphery thereofis an annular rib I8, the inner side of the rib defining a recess I|,the bottom wall of which isprovided with a large central opening I8and with a plurality of spaced 10 concentric grooves I9. Restrictedopenings 20 vpass through the top Wall I2 and connect the concentricgrooves I9 with the interior of the hollow base II. The annular sidewall of the revcess I1 is provided with an annular undercut 15 I groove2| for receiving a split clamping ring 22,`

v the/said ring serving to hold a porous disk 23 seated wit n the recessI1 and which disk overlies the co centric grooves I9. The porous diskmember 23 comprises an inner layer of finely woven canva 24 and an outerdisk of fine mesh screen. 25 so to provide an impervious but yet porousbotto for the recess I1. The porous disk member 2 vs provided with acentral opening 26 which/registers with the opening I8\in the top 25Wall/ I2 and passing through these registering. openings is anexternally screw threaded jet member 21. Clamping nuts 28 arethreadedupon the jet member 21 to secure the same to the topextends downwardlyinto the hollow base II, the

said lower end being provided with a flange 23.

\The jet member 21 is provided with lthree radially arranged orifices30, each of which is substantially semi-circular shaped in crosssection, and these orifices provide restricted outlet bassages for thegaseous refrigerant used in the making of dry ice. y

Suspended from the jet member 21 andcon cealed within the hollow base IIis a control 46 valve 3l, the same comprising a casing 32 having ahorizontally disposedf/nipple 33 which extends outwardly through theslot I5 and through which nipple passes the inlet 34 of the valve.Threaded to the'nipple 33 is a coupling nut 35 which joins 45 aninternally screw threaded nipple 42,to which a bushing nut 43 isthreaded, the said bushing nut acting as a bearing for the stem 44 of aconical valve element 45, the said element coacting with a seat 46 atthe juncture of the passages 34 and 4| for the purpose of opening andshutting off the supplycf refrigerant from the tank 38 to the jet 21.The valve element 45 is threaded as at 41 to the valve casing, and theouter end extends through the slot I4 and has secured thereto anactuating handle 48, the said'handle being disposed beyond the outerside wall of the base I I. It will be seen that by turning the handle 48to the vertical position shown in Figure 1, the valve may be opened orby turninguhe same to the dotted position shown in Figure 1 or theposition shown in Figure 2, the supply of refrigerant through the valvewill be shut off.

Pivotally connected as at 49 to the top of the cylindrical base is acover member 58, the

same having a cavity or recess 5I in the under side thereof. Set intothe underside of the cover 50 is a rubber gasket 52 which engages therib I8 when the cover member is swung down to a closed position over thetop of the base |I. For the purpose of securing the cover member in atight sealed closed position, there is provided a hand lever 53, thesame being pivoted to the cover as at 54, the hand lever adjacent thepivoted end being provided witha hook 55 which is adapted to engage apin 56 carried by spaced ears 51 which extend from the side wall of thecylindrical base II. When the cover member 50 is swung to closedposition and the hook portion 55 of the lever 53 is engaged with the pin56, the cover 58 is sealed with respect to the top of the base and thecavity 5| is ready to receive the refrigerant from the outlet end of theorifices 30 in the jet member 21.

Carried by the cover 50 centrally thereof, is an audible safety blow offvalve 58, the same-including a cylindrical body member 59 having at itslowerA end, an enlarged externally screw threaded head 80, and extendingfrom the head 60 is a reduced threaded nipple 5| which threads into thetop of the cover member 50. A passage 62 extends through the head 8|vand establishes communication betweenv the cavity 5| and the sleevebody 59. 'Threaded to the head 60 is the lower end of a cylindrical cap53, the walls of the cap being disposed in spaced relation with respectto the sleeve body 59. Normally seated against the inner end of thepassage 62, is the rounded head 64 of a valve member 55, the said valvemember having a socket '86 within which a spring 61 extends, one end ofthe spring engaging the end wall of the socket whereas the opposite endof the spring abuts the upper end wall of the cap 63.l 'I'he spring 61is of such predetermined tension as to maintain the valve head 54 seateduntil such time as an excessive pressure occurs in the cavity' 5| afterthe formation of a cake of dry ice therein, after which the spring 51yields under the, excess pressure within the cavity, causing the valvehead 64 to open and enabling the refrigerant to pass through the sleevebody 59 into the space between the sleeve body and the cap 63, afterwhich the refrigerant passes to the atmosphere through openings 68provided in the In practice, the cover 50 is held locked down againstthe top of the base by-engaging the hook portion 55 of the hand lever 53with the pin 58. The handle 48 of th-valve 3| is turned` to the upposition shown iii full lines in Figure 1 causing the valve 3| to open,thus admitting carbon dioxide from thev tank 38 to the cavity 5I`through the restricted orifices 38 of the jet member 21. Due to thesudden expansion of the carbon dioxide- (CO2) within the cavity 5|, itfollows that the cavity will become substantially filled with dry icedue to the solidication of the carbon dioxide to produce a cake of dryice substantially of the shape shown at 69 in Figure 4, the waste gasesof the refrigerant being permitted toA pass through the porous disk 23,grooves I9, openings 20 into the hollow base II and thence outwardlythrough the slots I4 land I5. After the filling of the cavity 5| by theformation of dry ice therein, which requires but a few seconds, thepressure within the cavity is relieved by the audible safety blow oifvalve 58, the fluid refrigerant passing from the Ajet member 21, throughthe porous cake of dry ice 68 to the cavity 5| and thence through thesafety valve 58, and due to the restricted outlet openings 68, a hissingsound will be produced and which constitutes an audible signal to anoperator that the valve 3| should be shut oif by moving the handle 48 tothe down position shown in Figure 2. After the control valve 3| has beenshut off, the hand lever 53 is actuated to unlock the cover 50, afterwhich the cover is swung to raised position as shown in Figure 4 and thecake of dry ice 69 is free to be lifted from the top of the base II. l

While I have shown and described what I consider to be the mostpractical embodiment of my invention, I wish it to. be understood thatsuch changes and alterations as come within.the scope of the appendedclaims may be resorted to if desired.

.Having thus described the invention, what I claim "as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:-

l. In an apparatus o f the class described, means providing aniceforming cavity, means for introducing a fluid refrigerant under pressureinto said cavity, valve means for controlling the flow of refrigerant tosaid cavity, and a pressure relief valve through which excess fluidpressure passes 'dicating the releasing o'f excess fluid pressure fromsaid cavity. l

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a

basemember, a cover member having a recess.

which coacts with said base member of provide anl ice forming cavity,means for ne easably securing said cover in sealed closed ,/sitzion`against said base member, means for introducing a uid refrigerant kunderpressure tti/said cavity, and pressure relief valve means on said covermembexfor relieving the cavity of excess fluid pressure `after theformation of a cake of solidified refrigerant therein.

4. In an vapparatus of the class, described, a

V ably securing said cover member in sealed closed position against saidbase member, means for introducing a uid refrigerant under pressure tosaid cavity for solidication therein, and pressure relief means foraudibly indicating when the cavity becomes lled with the solidifiedrefrigerant. l

5. A dry ice making device comprising in combination, ,a hollow basehaving a recess in the top wall thereof, the interior of said hollowbase'opening to the atmosphere through openings provided in the sidewalls thereof, a flat porous member seated in said recess, the bottomwall of said recess having gas releasing openings therein, a covermember having'a recess therein and cooperating with the topv wall ofsaid base to provide a dry ice forming cavity, means for releasablysecuring said cover member in sealed closed position against the topwall of said base, and

means for introducing a uid refrigerant under pressure into said cavitythrough the top wall of said base and centrally through said fiat porousmember.

. 6; A dry ice making device comprising in com- `-binatiorl, a hollowcylindrical base having a top wall and an opening in the side wallthereof, an

annular upstandingrib rising upwardly from said to'p wall and defining arece, spaced concentric grooves providedin the bottom wall of saidrecess communicating with the inside of said cylindrical base-throughsmall openings provided in said top wall, aflat porous disk seated insaid recess, a cover member having a cavity 4therein,

means for releasably securing said cover member in sealed engagementwith said rib, and means for introducing a gaseous refrigerant underpressure into the cavitythrough the top wall of said cylindrical baseand centrally through said flat porous disk whereby waste gases of thegaseous refrigerant during the formation of a cake of dry ice in saidcavity may be released through said porous disk to the atmosphere.

7. A dry ice making device comprising in combination a hollowcylindrical base having a top wall and an opening in the side wallthereof, an annular upstanding rib rising upwardly from said top walland defining a recess., spaced concentric grooves provided in the bottomwall of said recess communicating with the inside of said cylindricalbase through small openings provided in said top wall, a flat porousdisk seated in said recess, a cover member having a cavity therein,means for releasably securing said cover -member in sealed engagementwith said rib,

means for introducing a gaseous refrigerant under pressure into thecavity through the top vwall of said cylindrical base` and centrallythrough said at porous -disk whereby waste released through said porousdisk to'the atmosphere. and a pressure relief valve mounted on saidcover member for releasing the pressure of the fluid refrigerant fromwithin said cavity when the same becomes filled with dry ice.

8. A dry ice making device comprising in combination, a hollowcylindrical base having a top wall and an opening in the side wallthereof, a cover member having a recess therein which cooperates withsaid top wall to provide a.y dry ice forming cavity, means forreleasably securing said cover member in sealed closed position againstthe top wall of said base, a jet extending centrally into said cavitythrough the tol. wall of said base, means connected with said jet forsupplying a gaseous refrigerant under'pressure to said cavity, means inthe top wall of said base for the escape of the waste gases from saidcavity` to the inside o f said hollow base during the solidification ofthe refrigerant in said cavity to form dry. ice, and means op saidcover" member for releasing the excess pressure of refrigerant fromwithin said cavity when the latter becomes filled with dry ice.

9. A dry ice making device comprising in combination, a hollowcylindrical base having a top wall and opposed slots in the side wallextending inwardly from the bottom thereof, a manual control valveconcealed withln said hollow'cylindrical base and provided with anactuating handle projecting outwardly through one of -said slots and apipe coupling at the inlet side of said valve extending through theother of said slots and vadapted to be connected with a gaseousrefrigerant supply, a jet member extending centrally the outlet side ofsaid valve, a cover member having a recess therein and cooperating withthe top wall of said base to provide a dry ice forming cavity, and meansfor releasing waste gases from said cavity to the atmosphere throughsaid hollow base during the solidication of the refrigerant within saidcavity.

l0. In a dry ice making device, a\pair of members held in sealed clampedrelation and coacting to provide anice forming cavity, means forintroducing a gaseous fluid refrigerant under pressure into said cavity,and a safety audible relief valve mounted in one of said members for thedirect release of the excess refrigerant therethrough v-fr'om saidcavity to the atmosphere -when the

